Towards a Radiation Hardened Fluxgate Magnetometer for Space Physics Applications

• Author / Creator

  Miles, David M

• Space-based measurements of the Earth's magnetic field are required to understand the plasma processes of the solar-terrestrial connection which energize the Van Allen radiation belts and cause space weather. This thesis describes a fluxgate magnetometer payload developed for the proposed Canadian Space Agency’s Outer Radiation Belt Injection, Transport, Acceleration and Loss Satellite (ORBITALS) mission. The instrument can resolve 8 pT on a 65,000 nT field at 900 samples per second with a magnetic noise of less than 10 pT per square--root Hertz at 1 Hertz. The design can be manufactured from radiation tolerant (100 krad) space grade parts. A novel combination of analog temperature compensation and digital feedback simplifies and miniaturises the instrument while improving the measurement bandwidth and resolution. The prototype instrument was successfully validated at the Natural Resources Canada Geomagnetics Laboratory, and is being considered for future ground, satellite and sounding rocket applications.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Krad
  • Digital
  • Space physics
  • Radiation
  • Magnetometer
  • Satellite
  • ORBITALS
  • Fluxgate
  • Space
  • Radiation belts
  • Magnetic fields

• Graduation date

  Spring 2013

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3P596

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.